Sociology: Human Services

Think of the research that has been done on your topic as a "scholarly conversation." Before you begin to write about a topic like "homelessness and disorganization theory" it is necessary to listen to the conversation that has been taking place. Before you can enter the conversation, it is necessary that you  first "explore" your topic,  learn about it, and think critically about it.  The final piece, then, is to "engage" in the conversation, by putting together the ideas and concepts you have learned about.

A "literature review" can include:

• reference sources (check the bibliographies)
• books
• journal articles
• conference papers
• dissertations
• Internet pages (organizations, government, academic, etc.)

A Literature review provides your readers an overview of the sources you have explored while researching a particular topic or idea, and also demonstrates how your research fits or contributes to your field of study.

Existing Literature Reviews
Literature reviews may already exist on some aspect of your topic. The SocINDEX database includes research articles in peer reviewed journals, many of which include a "Literature Review" section. There are articles that focus on reviewing the literature. These can be found using "Literature Reviews" as a subject heading. If you are searching for an existing literature review on domestic violence, it might be productive to perform the following search:

"Literature Reviews" and "domestic violence"

b) Classic and Landmark Studies
It is usually important to comment on classic works on your topic. The more you research, the more you will recognizes names that are mentioned over and over as seminal and/or influential authorities.

Careful research in databases will often bring to light articles that mention classic works. It may be useful to use such keyword terms as “classic” or “landmark’ in your searching of databases.